Kylian Mbappe has revealed what his response to Jurgen Klopp was when he held transfer talks about signing for about Liverpool while flying around in a private jet
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe.
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe.(Image: Diego Souto/Getty Images)
Kylian Mbappe says his mother was keen for him to sign for Liverpool when he moved to PSG in 2017, only for the player to decide to remain in France.
Now at Real Madrid, Mbappe moved from AS Monaco to PSG for a fee of around $220 million (£165 million) nine years ago, with Jurgen Klopp doing his best to convince him that his next step should be to Anfield.
"It was while I was playing in Monaco," Mbappe told The Athletic. "I had to take a decision. And yes, I was close to Liverpool. My mum was a big fan of Jurgen Klopp and the favorite destination for my mom was Liverpool. She wanted me to go there.
"I didn’t listen because I wanted to play in my city, Paris. I didn’t want to leave my country before I was someone.
"But yes, my mom was always saying, ‘Liverpool — you’re going to be there, playing at Anfield, it’s going to be insane for you.’ I was like, ‘OK!’
"She went there (for) the first step of the negotiations. She went to the city, the stadium, she met the people. She was like, ‘It’s a wonderful club, everybody’s so kind, it’s a family club, a big club'."
Kylian Mbappe (L) and German coach Jurgen Klopp talk after the 2026 World Cup football tournament quarter-final match between France and Morocco
Kylian Mbappe and Jurgen Klopp talk after the 2026 World Cup quarter-final match between France and Morocco(Image: Getty)
As has been detailed previously, Mbappe spoke with Klopp on a private jet before choosing to reject Liverpool's advances. He played at PSG for seven years before signing for Real Madrid in 2024.
"I remember we were on the plane and we were turning around and around in the air while he was explaining his project," Mbappe continued.
"I said, ‘You don’t need to convince me. You’re Jurgen Klopp, it’s Liverpool, a great club, so of course if I’m here, I have some interest. But I have other things, other projects, that are also good.’
"I said to him, ‘Whatever decision I take is going to be a good decision because we are talking about some of the biggest clubs in the world.’
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"It’s a funny story. But in the end, I took the decision to go to PSG because for me, born and raised in Paris, there was no better feeling than to show I could be a star in my hometown."
Mbappe is a part of the France squad that will take on Turkiye, Belgium (twice) and Italy during this international break.
Liverpool center-back Jeremy Jacquet could make his senior debut for Les Bleus, while Bradley Barcola, who played with Mbappe for 12 months at PSG, is also in the team.
Liverpool.com says: Mbappe signing for the Reds would have been a huge statement at the time, and who knows how differently things would have turned out? Liverpool wasn't bad under Klopp, regardless, though.